Apparatus for grooving or scoring blocks of clay.



PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

1. L. GONKLING. APPARATUS FOR GROOVING 0R surname BLOCKS 0F CLAY.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 19, 1902.

2 SHEETSSEEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

CF40. INYENTOR: i

WITNESSES:

No. 717,546. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

' V I. L. GONKLING.

APPARATUS FOR GROOVING 0R $GORING BLGCKS 0F CLAY.

APPL'IGATION FILED MAY 19, 1902. N0 MODEL" 2 SHEETS-SHBT 2.

Hal

WiTNESSES: INVENTOR:

IRA LEWIS OONKLIN G, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR GROOVINGOR SCORING BLOCKS OF CLAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ne. 717,546, dated January 6, 1903. Application filed May 19, 1902. $erial1io..108,024. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IRA LEWIS CONKLING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Grooving or Scoring Blocks of Clay, of which the following is a specification. v

In the manufacture of terra cotta blocks it has been the practice to prepare the clay, shape it to the required form in a press, mold, or other apparatus, and subsequently dry the formed blocks either in a kiln or by prolonged exposure to the atmosphere.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiective apparatus by which the face oi a clay or terra cotta block may be scored or cut to produce the parallel grooves in some instances desired to be present in that face of the block which is exposed when the block is in final position in a building.

In the accompanying drawings I show, and herein I describe, an apparatus embodying a 'good form of my invention, the particular subject matter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure I is a view in side elevation of "an apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure II is a view in end elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure I, sight being taken toward the right hand end of'said apparatus.

Figure III is a transverse section of the wheeled carrier.

Figure IV is a detailed view of the carrierpropelling wheels and the associated sliding frame and operating lever, removed from the apparatus.

FigureV is a transverse section, and Figure VI a fragmentary view in face elevation of what I term a milling cutter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The particular apparatus illustrated in the drawings, provides means for forming or scoring on the upper surface of the block, a series of ornamental grooves of the character heretofore common in terra cotta blocks, but

which have in the practiceof manufacturing blocks hitherto in vogue, been produced in a molding or pressing operation.

In the accompanying drawings,

1 is a way of any suitable character and dimensions, shown, however, as a track, on which runs a wheeled carrier 2.

The carrier is shown as provided on its upper surface with a pair of longitudinally extending side pieces 3 vertically through which extend threaded bolts passing through transversely extending slots 4 in the carrier body.

A transverse bar 5 resting upon and temporarily secured to the side pieces 3, secures a block resting upon the carrier from sliding rearwardly thereon under the action of the trimming knives.

The side pieces may be adjusted toward and from each other, and secured in the positions to which they are adjusted by tightening up the nuts on the ends of the bolts.

A block to be operated upon is placed upon the carrier and when in position rests upon the side pieces which operate to hold it sufficiently above the carrier body to allow the full depth of its sides to be trimmed ofi.

A fixed longitudinally extending rack 6 depends below the carrier, and is engaged by positively driven gears which occasion the travel of the carrier through the apparatus.

The positively driven gears referred to, designated 7 and S, are formed or provided with suit-able hubs which are keyed upon transversely extending shafts 9 and 10, disposed inthe lower part of the apparatus and between the rails of the way, one of said shafts and wheels being plainly shown in Figure II. x

11 is a. sliding frame, mounted on the shafts 9 and 10, which frame embraces or incloses the gears 7 and 8 and their hubs, and by the 'movement of which longitudinally of said shafts the hubs and gears are caused to similarly move. longitudinally of said shafts, and are in such movement carried into and out 'of alinement with theme]: 6 of the carrier.

As a means for shifting the sliding frame and said wheels I connect to said frame a link 12 (see Figure IV) extending out to the side of the apparatus where it is pivotally attached to the lower end of a frame shifting handle or lever 13 in turn pivotally connected to a part of the framework of the apparatus.

Manifestly by the throw of the handle or lever 13 the sliding frame and the parts controlled by it may be thrown in one direction or the other, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure IV.

That the sliding frame may be operated from either side of the apparatus, I provide the handle or lever 13, which is located at the left side of the apparatus, with an operating bar 14 extending over to the right hand thereof.

The framework of the apparatus, which is designated 15, and which may, of course, be of such general form and arrangement as may be required, supports in adjacency to the path traversed by the carrier and its block of clay or terra cotta in their passage, the instrumentalities which operate upon such block.

As a means for driving the shafts 9 and from the main shaft 16, which is assumed to be driven by a belt 17, I show a belt 18 connective of a pulley on said main shaft and a driven pulley on a countershaft 19, and I connect said countershaft 19 by a chain or sprocket gear 20 with aworm shaft 21, worms at the respective extremities of which are engaged with worm wheels 22 on the adjacent ends of the shafts 9 and 10.

Manifestly through the arrangement described said shafts 9 and 10 will be positively driven at a common speed.

The chains 20 are connected with the respective shafts 19 and 21 through suitable chain wheels, certain of said wheels being as shown of difiering dimensions, and I lock fast to the respective shafts the hubs of the two wheels associated with one chain, or the two associated with the other chain, thus employing the respective chains and their associated wheels alternately, according to the speed at which I desire the shafts 9 and 10 driven.

I prefer to mount a balance wheel 23 on the shaft 19.

The specific means which I prefer to employ to score the upper face of the block, are as follows:

24 is a horizontally disposed milling cutter blade connected, as indicated, to a bar 38, the latter being connected at its respective ends to a pairof pendulouslinks 25 the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to supports 26 in threaded engagement with the shanks of a pair of adjusting screws 27 the bodies of which, provided with suitable chain wheels, are geared together by a chain 28.

Rotation of one of the screws 27 willaccordingly occasion the rotation of the other in unison, and the rotation of said shafts, the lower ends of which are suitably swiveled With respect to the supporting bar 29, will occasion the vertical adjustment of the pendulous links 25 and the milling cutter blade carried thereby, with relation to said bar.

30 is a pitman one end of which is connected to one of the links 25 and the other end to awrist or crank pin on the crank wheel 31 mounted on the end of the countershaft 19.

32 is a spring plate secured to the bar 29, and depending across and bearing with light pressure against the bar 38, the action of which spring, which yields to allow the milling cutter blade to participate in the slight forward travel of the block during the transient period in which said blade in its throw engages in the face of the block, is to return said blade, when freed from the block, to its normal position.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure II and suitably arranged with relation to the upper surface of a block mounted on the carrier 2 for subjection to the operation of the apparatus, the edges of the teeth of the milling cutter blade 24 are slightly below the level of the upper surface of the block.

In the operation of the apparatus the crank wheel 31 in its rotation occasions the regular pendulous movement of the milling cutter blade transversely of the machine.

\Vhen the milling cutter blade is moved to the right or left from the position shown in Figure II, it is, of course, following a curved line of movement, lifted out of engagement with the block, but in its return again sinks into said surface, said blade in its pendulous movement striking the face of the block each time it nears the lowest point in the arc of its movement.

As the carrier 2 with a supported block travels with a continuous movement at the appropriate rate of speed through the appa ratus, said block is advanced longitudinally a short distance between the successive lateral swings of the blade to lowest position, with the result that in each such movement of the blade the latter scores a new kerf in the face of the block a little further to the rear than the preceding kerf. In the continued travel of the block, therefore, the entire up per face of the block will be scored.

To adjust the cutter blade and its supporting mechanism as a whole to the proper height with relation to a block or blocks to be operated upon, the bar 29 carrying the links 25 and screws 27, is free for vertical adjustment upon the framework of the machine, that is to say, the adjacent vertical parts of the framework of the apparatus are provided with plates 37 having vertically disposed slots in which are entered the heads of clamping screws the shanks of which extend out through suitable openings in said bar 29 and are provided with suitable wing or other nuts.

Said screws carrying the bar 29 may be ap proximately adjusted vertically along the slots in the plates 37,. and when said bar reaches the desired position it is clamped by the tightening up of the wing or other nuts referred to.

After the bar 29 has been adjusted to approximately the desired position, the more erated on, and which is still usually more or less friable or soft, said supports being located in line below the milling cutter 24, to prevent the breaking away of the upper side corners of said block, and to steady said block under the vibratory movement of the milling cutter blade.

Supports of any desired character may be provided. The supports I show are equipped at their inner ends with hearing faces which abut directly against the sides of the block, and also provided with laterally extending slotted shanks through which any suitable threaded clamping devices extend.

Upon the loosening of said clamping devices the supports may be moved inward or outward to accommodate difierent widths of blocks, and by the tightening up of said clamping devices the supports are secured in selected positions of adjustment.

Said clamping devices are conveniently mounted in vertically disposed slots formed in continuationsof the plates 37, and said supports 33 and their clamps may be moved bodily up and down said slots for proper adjustment with relation to blocks of difierent vertical dimensions.

The operation of the apparatus will be sufficiently understood from the description hereinbefore contained. The carrier is caused to reciprocate backward and forward upon the way, a block being placed upon it when it is at the starting point, at the left, Figure I, and removed from said carrier when the latter has reached the distant end of the way, being the right hand end in Figure I.

After the block has been placed upon the carrier it is advanced through the apparatus, manually at first, but by the operation of the gears 7 and 8 later. The gears act upon and serve to propel the carrier at a regular rate of travel through the apparatus during the progress of the grooving or scoring operation, with the result that the grooves are formed at uniform distances apart.

After the block has emerged from beneath the cutter blade, and been removed from the carrier, the throw of the lever 13 will occasion the movement of the gears 7 and 8 out of line with said rack, and thereupon said carrier may be manually impelled backward along the way and through the apparatus to the starting point as shown in Figure I.

The milling cutter blade, as I term it, 24,

which I employ to score or groove the face of the clay or terra cotta block is preferably of the special construction shown in Figures V and VI, that is to say, the acting face of said cutter is provided with two series of teeth and a smoothing rib, said series of teeth and rib being arranged in parallelism along the face of the blade at distances apart corresponding to the arrangement of grooves de' sired on the face of the block.

The teeth of the first row or series are separated from each other by indentations of considerable depth; the teeth of the second row or series are separated from each other by indentations of slightly less depth; the smoothing rib is a convex projection having a smooth surface.

The first row or series of teeth are designated 34, the second row 35, and the smoothing rib 36.

In the operation of the apparatus, the milling cutter blade is so arranged with respect to the carrier that the first row of teeth 34 is the first to encounter the block which on the carrier travels through the apparatus, and in the oscillation or swing of said milling cutter blade each ofthe two rows of teeth and the smoothing rib successively operate upon each groove, that is to say, as the block progresses beneath the blade, the series of teeth 34 in the movement of the blade, encounter the face of the block, and, sweeping across it, form a groove therein. In the next swing of the blade, the carrier having in the meantime slightly advanced, the second series of teeth 35 are carried along through the groove previously formed, the teeth of the first series 34 in such movement, of course, making a new groove. In the third movement of-the blade the smoothing rib 36 engages in the groove which has already been engaged by the two series of teeth.

In each movement of the milling cutter blade, therefore, three grooves in the face of the block are formed or acted upon contemporaneously, that is to say, in each movement the series of teeth 34 score or form a new groove, the teeth of the row 35 engage in and more thoroughly and sharply define the groove previously acted on by the row 34, and the smoothing rib 36 engages in the groove previously acted on in succession by the two series of teeth 34' and 35.

The clay or terra cotta is of such a character that under some conditions the employment of a singleseries of teeth, such as the series 34, might form a groove not sharply defined or having a somewhat rough surface.

I may, however,em ploy a milling cutter provided with asingle series of teeth if the character of the block operated upon or the character of the result desired, enables me to do so. In scoring or grooving blocks of terra cotta, however, it is desirable and advantageous to employ a milling cutter having a plurality of series of teeth in order that the best results may be secured. V

The employment of the two series of teeth IIO in succession results in the production of quite sharply defined grooves. The employment of the smooth rib results in giving a smoothness or finish to the groove formed by the teeth.

The indentations between the teeth of the second row are, as shown, quite small, and the crests of the teeth of said row are therefore of considerable length, the result being that the teeth of the second row not only act, so to speak, as cutting teeth to assist in removing any material leftin the grooves by the first row, but also act to smooth the interior of the groove in the same manner as does the smoothing rib.

I prefer to make the smoothing rib with slightly greater projection than the teeth.

I do not herein claim the arrangement of the carrier and the carrier moving and operating devices as claims are laid to such appa ratus in an application filed by me April 17, 1901, as Serial No. 56,2l5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a support for a block, a milling cutter blade, means for occasioning the travel of the one with relation to the other, and means for occasioning the periodic action of said blade upon said block, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a milling cutter, pendulous means for supporting said outter, means forimparting swinging movement to said cutter, and means for regulariy advancing a block of clay within the range of said cutter, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a support for a block, a milling cutter blade, means for causing the continuous travel of the one with relation to the other, means for occasioning the reciprocation of said milling cutter blade with respect to the face of the block during the continuous travel referred to, and for causing said blade to alternately engage with and be disengaged from the face of the block.

4. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier for a block, a scoring or grooving device, means for operating said device, and stationary supports adapted to abut againstthe side of the provided with a plurality of series of scoring or grooving teeth, pendulous links connected to said blade and to a support, and means for adjusting the set of said links with respect to said support, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a milling cutter blade provided with a plurality of series of grooving or scoring teeth, pendulous arms connected to said blade, means for occasioning the reciprocation of said blade, screwshafts which control the set of said pendulous arms upon a support, sprocket-wheels on said screw-shafts, and a sprocket-chain connective of said sprocket-wheels, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus for providing the face of a block of terra cotta or kindred material with a succession of grooves, in combination, a support for a block, a grooving instrumentality adapted to act upon the face of the block to form a series of grooves therein, means for causing the travel of the one with relationto the other during the grooving operation, and 'means for occasioning the operation of the grooving instrumentality, substantially as set forth.

9. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a milling cutter blade, a supporting bar, links connective of said blade and said bar, plates having curved slots, carrying screws or devices of the supporting bar entered in said slots, clamps for said carrying screws or devices, a crank,and a pitman connected with said crank and arranged to operate the blade, substantially as set forth.

10. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, means for advancing a block of clay, a scoring or grooving cutter blade, a pendulous support for said blade which support permits slight movement of the blade in the direction of travel of the block, means for occasioning the pendulous movement of the blade, and a spring which operates to return said blade to normal position after it has moved in the direction of travel of the block, substantially as set forth.

11. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier for a block, a main frame, a milling cutter blade, pendulous supports for said blade, a pitman through which movement is transmitted to said blade, a crank to occasion the throw of said pitman, and a spring which operates to return said blade to normal position after it has participated in the longitudinal travel of the block, substantially as set forth.

12. In an apparatus for scoring blocks of clay, a carrier for a block, means for occasioning the travel of said carrier at a regular speed, a milling cutter blade, means for occasioning the to-and-fro movement of said blade at a regular speed to score the face of the block, substantially as set forth.

13. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of terra cotta, or the like, in combination, a support for a block, a milling cutter blade, having a plurality of series of teeth adapted to successively engage in the same portions of the block, means for occasioning the travel of one of said devices with respect to the other, and means for occasioning the reciprocation of the cutter blade.

14:. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier for a block, a cutter blade, means for reciprocating said blade, said blade having a row of teeth and a smoothing rib, said smoothing rib, in the reciprocation of the cutter, engaging successivelyin each of the grooves formed in the block, substantially as set forth.

15. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, in combination, a carrier for-a block, a cutter blade, and means for reciprocating the blade, said blade having two series of teeth and a smoothing rib, each of said series of teeth and said rib engaging successively in each groove formed in the block, substantially as set forth.

16. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, a milling cutter blade having two independent series of teeth, and means for occasioning the reciprocation of said blade across successive portions of the face of a block of clay or the like.

17. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, a milling cutter blade having two independent series of teeth and a smoothing rib, and means for occasioning the reciprocation of said blade across successive portions of the face of ablock of clay or the like.

18. In an apparatus for scoring or grooving blocks of clay, a milling cutter blade having a row of teeth and asmoothing rib, and means for occasioning the reciprocation of said blade across the face of a block of clay or the like.

19. A milling cutter blade for use in scoring blocks of clay and the like, having parallel rows of teeth, one of said rows, in the reciprocation of the device, being adapted to form grooves, and the other to engage in and operate upon the grooves so formed.

20. Amilling cutter blade for use in scoring blocks of clay and the like, having parallel rows of teeth, and a smoothing rib, one of said rows, in the reciprocation of the device, being adapted to form grooves, and the other and the smoothing rib to successively engage in and operate upon the grooves so formed.

' 21. Amilling cutter blade for use in scoring blocks of clay and the like, having a row of teeth and a smoothing rib, said row of teeth, in the reciprocation of the device being adapted to form grooves, and the smoothing rib being adapted to engage in and operate upon the grooves so formed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Ihave hereunto signed my name this 14th day of May, A. D. 1902.

IRA LEWIS CONKLING.

In presence of EDVVABD FELL LUKENS, THOS. K. LANCASTER. 

